Definition of gamenext
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as in play
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously there's no need to get upset, all our teasing is only a game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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game

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun game differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of game are fun, jest, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When could fun be used to replace game?

While in some cases nearly identical to game, fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

When can jest be used instead of game?

While the synonyms jest and game are close in meaning, jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When is play a more appropriate choice than game?

The synonyms play and game are sometimes interchangeable, but play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

When might sport be a better fit than game?

The meanings of sport and game largely overlap; however, sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of game
Noun
To the untrained eye, the atmosphere felt more like a basketball game than a tennis match. Max Gao, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026 The Orioles are just half-a-game out of the third AL Wild Card spot, which the 69-68 Cleveland Guardians hold for the moment. Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Also, the Heat has seven single-game homestands and 11 multi-game homestands (six two-game homestands, one three-game homestand, two four-game homestands and two five-game homestands). Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham addressed a viral pre-game rant by their head coach after the Indiana Fever's 106-92 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday. Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for game
Recent Examples of Synonyms for game
Noun
  • Player of the Week Senior outside hitter Quinn Grevengoed tallies 92 kills and 15 aces in seven matches and then is named MVP for host Chicago Christian as Knights take tournament title for first time since 2014.
    Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On the flipside, three other golfers with ties to Baltimore — Phil Fairbanks of Columbia, Tom Winegardner of Lothian and Richard Sovero of Catonsville — fell outside of the Top 64, ending their stay in the tournament.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • DeepMind's Demis Hassabis has similarly described a future that plays to that strategy.
    MacKenzie Sigalos,Drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Joseph Marchese has joined creator network Bent Pixels as executive VP of creator strategy and business as the firm revs up its portfolio of support services offered to attention-economy clients.
    William Earl, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Lavin says the adjustment to team play came easier to some than others.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The individual feedback goes to the person first, privately, the way a coach talks to an athlete between plays.
    Vivek Thomas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Hogan, who spends the off-season as a graduate student in fiction writing at the University of Houston, seemed to view smokejumping not only as a profession but as a world view.
    M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Looking at passing citizens reveals flavor text about their professions and backgrounds.
    Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Shawn Ryan Tackling a distance like that will need considerably more solar area, but Ryan has ruled out the obvious fix of simply widening his current upright bike and plastering it with panels.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • By dawn, a margin of only a few hundred votes separated the two camps before the gap grew as more ballots were tallied in areas of the country where opposition was greater.
    Kwiyeon Ha, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Throughout the series, secrets are revealed, guns are fired, bodies are recovered and ninjas are ready to attack.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Andoni Iraola says new signing Bradley Barcola is ready to be part of the Liverpool squad for Friday’s Premier League clash at Ipswich Town.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Combined with recent updates across several companies in the AI industry, the AI competition appears to have entered a new phase centered on cost-efficiency.
    , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Horse racing revenue in Illinois had been dwindling for years due to competition from casinos, the lottery, and video and sports gambling.
    Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Alignment on a plan does not rescue a plan that does not compound customer value.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Vikings will use him on special teams and as a game-plan-specific blitzer.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Game.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/game. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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